Ralph Fastenbüttl

Just take a moment to actually think logically about the events that would have to take place for a referee to not only have "an agenda" against a particular team, but then also to act on those feelings. Our matches take place in the real world, and not the pages of a comic that's been scribbled on some reclaimed lined A4 by a dreamy-eyed adolescent. The notion alone is absolutely farcical.

I like Ralph and I really, really want him to come good. It feels like he's grown somewhat this season, making some smart tactical changes and actually employing subs as a resource. But how long can it go on with exactly nothing in the way of results to back any of it up? It's the same shit game after game after game. There has been no poorer team in the league than us in 2021. Hand on heart, I can't say that given the chance to swap Ralph for Ranieri I wouldn't go for it.

I loved Adkins. And not just for his success with us - which to deny is madness, incidentally - but also 'cos he was a decent human. As great as Poch was for us, I never got over the nature of his appointment, announced hours after Nigel was sacked. Compare that with, say Strachan, who refused to even talk to the club while Stuart Gray was in the job. And yet despite this, Nigel still returns to the club for special events to this day. A class act by any measure.

An inevitable consequence of having a squad fit for the PL is that good players will spend time on the bench. The idea that we'd persist with square pegs/round holes to avoid it baffles me. I've personally had my fill of Ralph's fun and games with the full back positions tbh.

Jesus, wtf is going on in this thread? When it's the reaction to racism that makes you furious as opposed to, y'know, the actual racism, that should be a large fucking red flag telling you you're going about shit all wrong. As a newcomer to this forum, can someone PLEASE tell me how to put people on the ignore list?

That's not necessarily true. Armstrong could have a single-figure season and we could still hope for returns from Adams, Tella, JWP and Broja. Perhaps even S Armstrong and Moi. It's probably hard to argue that our starting XI is much improved, but our squad depth most certainly has - and that was the weakness that properly fucked us last season. Of course I'd have liked a new keeper and another CM option, but the window probably delivered more than I would have predicted in the summer.

Well this is all a bit dull, isn't it?

I try to stay away from political threads on football forums because it reminds me of how far removed I am from a lot of the fanbase. Fuck knows why I made the mistake of venturing into this one. Regarding the shirt, I'd love for these kinds of gestures to be redundant, but until we no longer hear homophobic language from the stands and players can be honest about their sexual orientation without fear, they remain necessary. We still sing about Graeme Le Saux "taking it up the rear" because he had the audacity to do crazy things like 'read books' and 'show interest in the arts'. The horror. That an open show of support for gay rights is seen as "virtue signalling" when support of causes such as the poppy is not is very telling. A rainbow shirt does not effect me, or you, or the majority of us in any way whatsoever, but to a few folk it'll mean the world. It's very easy to assert that homophobia (or racism, for that matter) is not a problem when you're a white male. I might suggest that if you do have a problem with it, then perhaps the real problem is not the one you think.

Our collective optimism pays off.

Thank feck for that.

I can see why Ralph wants another No.6. Orio has his strengths, of course, but a near complete inability to pass is somewhat problematic for a footballer.

Blimey, he looks insanely good on the ball.

Obviously delighted the comeback and trouncing didn't materialise, but honestly I don't think we played that well. As someone else said, I've seen us play a lot better and lose many, many times. But there's no shame in grabbing points from a lacking performance, and hopefully it will spur the lads on and cheer up some of you lot! Tino is utterly fantastic, and I'm hopeful Adams/Armstrong can become a class partnership.